1. In a saucepan, heat 1 t olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add 1/3 of the chopped onion. Saute until translucent but not brown. Add uncooked rice and cook until it begins to smell toasty (about 3 minutes).
2. Add 10 oz (about 2/3 of the can) of coconut milk and a cup of water to the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes.
3. Add peas to the rice once it’s almost tender and cover. After 5-10, fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

4. While rice is cooking, heat the remaining oil over medium heat in a medium to large skillet.
5. Sprinkle flour onto a plate and season with all spices, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken lightly in flour and place in skillet. Cook, turning occasionally until browned on all sides. Remove to separate plate.
6. Add remaining onion and bell pepper to the skillet and saute until onion is translucent. Add remaining coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a bubble.

7. Nestle chicken back into skillet, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

8. After 15 minutes, remove cover from skillet and allow liquid to reduce by half.
9. Serve chicken over rice, drizzling sauce and veggies over top.

I usually prefer white meat over dark meat, but this was dang good. And that package of chicken drummettes only set me back $1.79 at Trader Joe’s.

I named this recipe “Caribbean” chicken, but honestly I make no actual claims to the authenticity of this dish. But the heat from the spices and the velvety coconut milk made me feel like I should be swinging in a hammock on a white sand beach with a fruity drink in one hand.

Butterfly chicken by carefully cutting lengthwise, ensuring that you don’t cut all the way through.

Saute tomatoes and garlic in a skillet in 1/2 t olive oil until fragrant. Remove to a mixing bowl and combine with scallions and blue cheese while still warm.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Top each chicken breast with equal amounts of filling. Fold over and secure with toothpicks.

Heat remainder of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully place chicken in skillet, brown for 5 minutes. Flip, brown for another 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cover for about 5 minutes more. Test for doneness by cutting through a breast with a knife at the thickest spot.

Although the name of my blog is admittedly tongue in cheek, I’ve felt somewhat like a poser for a while having cooked not one single braised meal.

It is, after all, the method of champions.

If you’ve never been one to look at your dutch oven longingly, waiting for that moment when the perfect braising recipe will present itself, have no fear. I promise it’s easy. And surprisingly soothing. Or maybe I’m just a freak of nature that likes getting a chicken stock facial from leaning over my cookware too often.

The impetus for this dish was the chicken. I’m a sucker for a deal, and bone-in chicken breasts were only $4 at Trader Joes. You can’t beat it.

And since I was feeling kinda frisky today, I thought it was only fitting to make something spicy.

Spicy Beer Braised Chicken ‘n Veggies

The first thing you want to do is pat the chicken dry. This is gross, but just do it. You won’t get the crispy golden chicken you want if you don’t. You start by getting a really nice crust on the outside of the chicken, and then let it rest and render out some bacon. You don’t have to do this part, but it adds so much flavor. I mean, it’s bacon.

Once the vegetables have softened, it’s time to deglaze. This is my favorite part. It’s when all the flavor comes to the party. Basically, just add your liquid and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the dutch oven.

That’s basically it. Then you just simmer away until the meat is so tender it starts to fall off the bone.

The trick is to use a heavy bottomed pot with a lid (hence the dutch oven) and cook over low heat. You need to devote a little time to braising, but it’s totally worth it.

What you need:

Bone-in chicken breast

2 slices bacon (I used apple wood smoked, but any flavor is fine)

1 small onion, sliced

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 medium potato, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T chili sauce, or to taste

spices: I used a sprinkle each of salt, pepper, cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper

12 oz beer

2 cups chicken broth or stock.

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Sear chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown on each side, set aside.

Cut bacon strips into lardons (ie, into cubes) and add to dutch oven. Once the fat has rendered, set aside. Remove all but a little of the fat from dutch oven and add onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic and spices. Saute until tender (about 6-7 minutes) and then add chili paste. Once combined, add beer. Let reduce for a few minutes and then nestle chicken and bacon back into pot, and add chicken broth.

Once the mix has come to a bubble, reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering for about 45 minutes or until the meat is falling off the bone. During the last 10 minutes or so, remove the lid and let the sauce reduce. If necessary, add a teaspoon of corn starch to a bit of water and stir into mix to thicken.

There. Now I don’t feel like a fraud.

What’s your favorite cooking method? Have you taken a stab at braising?